UN: Make resources available for disabled migrants, refugees

Health Desk—April 13, 2017: The UN experts on Wednesday said dedicated human and financial resources must be made available for persons with disabilities in the new global framework on refugees and migrants.

The experts are Jose Brillantes, the Chair of the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and members of Their Families, and Catalina Devandas Aguilar, the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Theresia Degener, the Chair of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Brillantes, Chair of the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and members of Their Families.

They came up with the remarks in a statement on ‘Addressing disabilities in large-scale movements of refugees and Migrants’ as an intergovernmental consultation is being launched.

Jose Brillantes said, “We need to be sure that, when world leaders commit to saving the lives of refugees and migrants, to protecting their rights and to sharing responsibility on a global scale, they don’t forget about persons with disabilities”.

Catalina Devandas Aguilar said, “We are deeply concerned about the precarious situation of persons with disabilities in the current migration crisis. Many countries lack formal procedures to identify migrants and refugees with disabilities and, consequently, fail to provide them with protection and essential services, such as shelter and medical care that are accessible and responsive to their needs”.

Special efforts must be made to develop programmes targeting victims of torture and sexually based violence,” said Theresia Degener.